Electron discharge device



July 17, 1934. I v RON| 1,966,523

- ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed May 9, 1951 FIG. 3 35 36 3a 37 36' INVENTOR I! L. RONC/ flaw/ 6. M-

A T TORNE V Patented July 17-, 1934 1,966,523 E N D HABGE Victor L. Ronci, Brooklyn, N.-Y., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York A licat n Ma 9., 1 31 al N9 53 31 1 12 Claims. (01. 250-275) This i v nt on rela s t lectr n di ha e devices. an m re part u arl to an ele rqd a semblyin su devices- Ineleetron d sc a d ice is e able t v ii mount an electrode, usually the anode, on a reentrant stem of an enclosing vessel by a plurality of ods w i h re atta he to a meta l c cellar clamped about h t m- I th assemb y o such devices, the electrode structure is usually cone th Vessel byplacin the collar ab ut he m and clamping the collar against the stem. Due to manufacturing tol ran e the dimensi ns of the stem vary over an appreciable range and as a resultthe ultimate diameter of the electrode support n collar likewise vari v r apprec ab e range. This produces excessive stresses in the electrode supporting rods and th is d n er of destruction of the electrode.assembly. Furt ere more, the high temperatures encountered in the evacuating processes of the device may cause undue strains of the electrode supporting rods to such an extent thatidistortion oi the anode occurs or the supporting rods may be severed iron; the collar. v i v in suchelectron dis harge dev ces, th athode is usually support d from an insulat n m mbe rigidly mounted onthe anode. It has been n ns that .due to non-uniform expansien and cont a tion of I the insulating member and the anode during the preliminary heat treatment and subsequent operation of the device, excessive stresses are produced in the anode or insulating member which may cause destructionthereof. 535 An object of this invention therefore is to reduce the-stresses in the electrode assembly of discharge devices and to prevent deleterious distortion of the assembly by temperature variations.

. Another object of this invention is to main- 40 tain the proper space relation of the electrodes during the operating life of the device.

In accordance with one feature of this inven, tion, adjustable links are interposedbetween the metallic collar and the electrode supporting rods to allow accurate adjustment .of the spacing of the rods during the assembly of the device and there,- by prevent the setting up ,of excessive and .deleteripiis stresse in the rods. In a specific embod merit, th adjustable inks. ccmpr se ar .te me: .50 teliie hands -.iine.d intermed ate thei t ine me it cellar; ban 'su rort We of h .setres e supperins tests which are at? t d vt9 ermite e t e be Tiieeieetrqs e as: sembly is constructed inde ndently of the and dampin t structed independently and then mounted within.

still r abou the tem- A sense is insert d be: tween t e ad cent r ds entire collar and th l nks are etii is ed until the desire s acing c th reds is obtained n wh ch th str s s will be a In a c rdanc with another f tu e t th s invent n, an insulating member er supportin an electrode suc as eathede from a e e d elec: tr es such an ano e in abuttin relat on 9. the end i ro s er t e li r-mine part .o Q? the anode assembly and is positioned by tie wires w ldeqt the red and extendin ti mu ii bor in the in ulatin memb rii In this ccnstructien s h eds v r l n t with m erature shense itii nsu atin memb cves v r ealiy 7 and slide al ng Peiers i th tie w s p ssin threiisii the member a d s main ai ed in its pro er ea in pesitiq entiiere s- These and ether featu e of thi invention wil underst o mor cl arly from th fallen: ins l ta itsidese ic qn wit re erenc t the ac: companying drawing, in which: .V

F g 1 i Per ri etive vi w of an eleetreniii ther -e device made i acco anc with this vent en with rcrt qns oi he en os ng ve se and th sens broke wa in shew th lec rode a ssi rmp e dear s is a. v. ra r ien a detail view .o t e sunpa t es struc ure err-the .e eiie il ustrat n the insti ed cf pre r r ad ustin the pacing of the supportin r i eqrdan e with n featu .QI

invent on; and

Fitv 3 sa Zirssm ntar deta l s -iewpart i'cs sectie ish wine th s idin li ks betw en the insulatin sup o t a d the made in aucordt me an ther tureoi this. nvention.

- li ie ri isncw 1J9 th si a n he electron d schar e device in see embcdim nt o th s in:

eiit Q i, scmcrise en evacuated n los n vese! .19 havin e ntrant st m 11 termina in in a i e .ene qsin vess 19 is. attached in .8- b s it o insulat n a eria carrying ter:

minal prongs 14 for associating the device with sieetr sei A pa r oi r i wir l5 int-eeri i th Pres are r su rected tQ we 1 0 ,i Pierre 1. thr ugh leadinsei Wi s 6 and a attac ed t the nds at M.-

siiep F er-t n teeth-95, he eet i e we e n cke t thes seee with aside a a ea th met ls. a e arie barium and igi wire 1? iii r ise st en uinest e s nee ed in the-mess 3. ee ie i tip-entitie are: 0

electrically connected to one of the terminal prongs 14, support metallic upright rods 21 extending lengthwise of the vessel 10, upon which a rectangular helical grid 22, preferably of nickel, is wound and uniformly spaced about the oathode 1'7. Metallic shields or plates 23 are welded to the wires 20 and located above the press 12 between the supporting wires 20 and the filament wires 15 to prevent the deposit of the cathode coating material upon the press 12 and thereby overcome leakage paths between the wires 15 and 20. A flattened cylindrical anode 24 preferably of carbonized nickel, surrounds the filament and grid and is supported from a two-part metallic collar comprising two semi-circular sections 25 and 26 clamped about the stem 11. The

anode is supported from the collar by two pairs of metallic rods 27 and 28 which are welded within the corners of the anode and extend beyond the end thereof remote from stem 11. The anode is preferably formed with longitudinal and transverse corrugations or ribs 29 which increase the rigidity of the anode and prevent buckling and distortion thereof by temperature variations during the operation of the device. An insulating block 30 of lavite, isolantite, or the like, rests upon the extended ends of the rods 27 and 28 and is provided with recesses or guideways 31 in alignment with the grid supporting rods 21 in which the ends of the supporting rods 21 are loosely disposed.

It has been found in using insulators mounted from the anode and supporting another electrode such as the cathode, that it is not practical to extend the rods 27 and 28 through bores in the block 30. Where the rods extend through the block, the insulating block expands and contracts non-uniformly during the evacuation or preliminary heat treatment of the device, and as a result stresses are produced in the rods which may result in distortion or tearing of the anode 24 or fracture of the insulator.

In accordance with a feature of this invention the insulating block 30 is positioned on the rods 27 and 28 by tie wires, the tie wires each having a shank portion 32 attached to rods 27 and 28 and a U-shaped portion 33 loosely positioned within twin bores 34 in the insulating block 30. During the operation of the device or in the preliminary heat treatment thereof, the rods 27 and 28 expand and contract with temperature changes and the insulating block 30 continually rests upon the rods and slides along the U-shaped portions 33 of the tie wires and the proper disposition of the block 30 with respect to the anode 24 is thereby maintained. A pair of bent wires 35 is rigidly fixed in the insulating block 30 and each of these wires has welded thereto a flexible wire 36. The wires 36 have in turn afiixed thereto hook members 37 which extend through apertures 38 in the insulating block 30 and engage the apices of the M-shaped filamentary cathode 17.

Due to manufacturing tolerances the diameter of the stem 11 varies appreciably and as a result the spacing between the anode supporting rods 2'7 and 28 is not always the same. In an assembly of a device in which the anode supporting rods are attached directly to the collar, when the collar is clamped about the stem, a stress is consequently introduced therein which may be of sufi'icient magnitude to cause buckling of the anode 24 with subsequent temperature variations. This dilficulty is overcome by mounting the supporting rods on separate arcuate-shaped flexible members or bands 39 and 40, each having flanged or curved ends 41. The band 40 is affixed at its center, for instance, by spot welding as shown at 48, to the section 26 of the collar and the rods 28 are affixed to opposite ends of the band. Similarly, the band 39 is attached at its center to the section 25 of the collar and carries at its ends the rods 27. In the assembly of the device the split collar is clamped about the stem 11 in the usual way with a thin sheet 42 of insulating material, such as mica or the like, interposed between the collar and the stem. The insulating sheet 42 increases the friction between the collar and the stem and also increases the insulation between the collar and the grid and the cathode leading-in wires. A gauge 43 is then inserted between opposite rods 27 and 28, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the bands 39 and 40 are flexed until the proper spacing between the rods 27 and 28, is obtained so that a minimum stress is produced in the rods. Thus spaced, the rods 27 and 28 will not produce deleterious stresses in the anode by temperature variations and warping or destruction of the anode during the operation of the device is eliminated.

A fiat metallic disc 44 having a shank 45 attached thereto and carrying a strip of getter material for fixing residual gases in the enclosing vessel 10 is supported from a metallic strip 46 aifixed to one of the bands 39 or 40. A leadingin wire 47 for the anode 24 is secured to the strip 46, sealed in the side of the stem 11 and electrically connected to one of the terminal prongs 14. I 1

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims. 7

What is claimed is: a

1. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a collar encircling said stem, an electrode assembly, and means for supporting said electrode assembly including a band member mounted on said collar and extending peripherally thereof, said member being flexible to adjust the spacing between portions of said member and said collar.

2. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a collar encircling said stem, an electrode, spaced members for supporting said electrode extending atone end to points adjacent said collar, and adjustable means extending peripherally of said collar to which said members are secured.

3. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a unitary electrode assembly supported from said. stem including a collar clamped about said stem, an electrode, a plurality of pairs of rods for supporting said electrode, and a plurality of members mounted on said collar, one member for each pair of supporting rods, said members having a fiexible portion to allow accurate space adjustment between certain rods in different pairs.

4. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a collar encircling said stem, a plurality of flexible members mounted on said collar and extending circumferentially thereof a pair of rigid members mounted on each of said flexible members, and an electrode mounted on said rigid members.

5. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a collar encircling said stem, a metallic member attached intermediate its ends to said collar, a plurality of rods projecting from the ends of said metallic mem-- ber, and an electrode mounted on said rods.

6. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a collar encircling said stem, a pair of flexible metallic bands attached intermediate their ends to said collar, a rod attached to each end of each band, and an electrode mounted on said rods.

'7. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, an electrode assembly mounted on said stem, an insulatory member abutting against one extremity of said electrode assembly, means separate from said assembly rigidly secured at one end to portions of said assembly and at the other end extending loosely into said insulatory member for maintaining said member in contact with said electrode assembly, and an electrode supported from said insulatory member.

8. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, an electrode above said stem and parallel thereto, a. plurality of rods supporting said electrode from said stem, each of said rods having an end extending beyond the end of the electrode remote from the stem, an insulating member seated on the projecting ends of said rods, tie wires attached to said rods for positioning said insulating member on said rods, and an electrode supported from said insulating member.

9. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a collar encircling said stem, members having flexible end portions extending peripherally of said collar, rigid rods supported by the end portions of said members and extending lengthwise of said vessel, an electrode mounted on said rods, an insulating member in engagement with the ends of the rods remote from said stem, tie wires positioning said insulating member on said rods, and an electrode supported from said insulating member.

10. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a plurality of rods extending above said stem, an electrode mounted on said rods, said rods each having an end projecting beyond the end of said electrode remote from said stem, an insulating member having a plurality of bores therein seated on the projecting ends of said rods, and a member having portions loosely positioned in said bores attached to certain of said rods.

11. In the manufacture of an electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, a unitary electrode assembly supported by said stem including a collar, flexible members secured to said collar, and a plurality of spaced rods attached at one end to said flexible members and at the other end to said electrode assembly, the method of relieving undue stress in said electrode assembly when subjected to temperature variations which comprises, attaching said flexible members to said collar on opposite sides thereof with the ends of the flexible members free from said collar, joining said rods to said electrode assembly and to the ends of said flexible members, fastening said collar on said stem, and adjusting the flexible members to space said rods with respect to said collar.

12. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having a stem, an anode, a cathode and a grid, means for supporting one end of said cathode and grid from said stem, a plurality of rods for supporting said anode, an insulating member at one end of said rods for supporting the other end of said cathode and grid, a collar surrounding said stem, comprising two semi-circular members secured together, and a pair of'arcuate-shaped metallic members secured to said collar at opposite sides of said stem, said arcuate members having flanged ends, said rods being secured to said flanged ends.

VICTOR L. RONCI. 

